A Triple Blow To Immigrants: Harder To Work, Harder To Earn, Harder To Stay

By Felicia J. Persaud

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Nov. 7, 2025: If you thought U.S. immigration couldn’t get any more complicated – think again. The Trump administration has quietly rolled out a wave of regulatory changes that will impact everyone from immigrants seeking work authorization to employers hiring foreign professionals, and even green card hopefuls preparing for citizenship.

Cook County Sheriff’s police pass a Day of the Dead ofrenda as they move protesters and media to the corner as a 6 p.m. curfew arrives outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview, Illinois, on Nov. 1, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Here are the most significant updates you need to know:

1. No More Automatic Work Permit Extensions

The Department of Homeland Security, (DHS), has announced an interim final rule ending the long-standing practice of automatically extending Employment Authorization Documents, (EADs) for certain noncitizens while their renewal applications are pending.

Starting October 30, 2025, immigrants filing to renew their work permits will no longer receive automatic extensions, except in narrow cases such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations or extensions explicitly provided by law.

According to DHS, the change is about “prioritizing proper screening and vetting.” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow said, “Working in the United States is a privilege, not a right.” He added that ending automatic extensions will allow officers to vet applicants more frequently and detect “aliens with potentially harmful intent.”

Critics, however, note that this could lead to massive work disruptions, as thousands of immigrants may lose employment authorization while waiting for renewals to process. USCIS recommends filing renewal applications up to 180 days before expiration, but given the agency’s long backlogs, many immigrants may still face job losses and uncertainty.

2. USCIS Moves To Mandatory Electronic Payments

In another major shift, USCIS will now require electronic payment for all paper-filed immigration forms starting October 28, 2025.

Applicants can pay by credit or debit card (Form G-1450) or directly from a U.S. bank account using Form G-1650. The change eliminates paper checks and money orders, part of what DHS calls the government’s “modernization” of financial transactions under Executive Order 14247.

USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser framed it as a modernization effort: “Over 90 percent of our payments come from checks and money orders, causing processing delays and increasing the risk of fraud and lost payments. This is a no-brainer move.”

While this may streamline processing and improve security, it could also pose a burden for applicants without access to bank accounts or credit cards, including asylum seekers, low-income families, and elderly immigrants.

3. $100,000 Fee for Certain H-1B Workers

Donald Trump’s September 19, 2025, “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers” proclamation has added yet another barrier for foreign professionals.

The new policy, effective September 21, 2025, imposes a $100,000 payment on employers filing new H-1B petitions for foreign workers outside the United States or seeking initial entry under H-1B status.

The fee does not apply to:

Petitions filed before September 21, 2025;

Workers already in the U.S. applying for amendments or extensions; or

Existing valid H-1B visas.

Employers must pay through pay.gov and include proof of payment with their petition or face automatic denial. Limited exceptions may be granted if no U.S. workers are available, if the foreign worker poses no security risk, or if the payment would harm “U.S. national interests.”

The $100,000 price tag makes the H-1B – once a key pipeline for global talent – a visa only the largest corporations can afford.

4. The New U.S. Citizenship Test Takes Effect

Finally, USCIS has begun administering the new 2025 Naturalization Civics Test for applicants filing Form N-400 on or after October 20, 2025.

Key changes include:

Returning to the 128-question bank used in 2020.

Applicants will be asked up to 20 questions, needing 12 correct to pass.

USCIS officers will stop once an applicant passes or fails.

Seniors (65+ with 20 years as permanent residents) take a simpler 10-question version drawn from a 20-question pool.

Applications filed before October 20 will continue using the older 2008 test. The new format is intended to improve standardization, though immigrant advocates warn it could add confusion and pressure for older or less fluent applicants.

The Bottom Line

From tougher vetting and electronic-only payments to a six-figure visa fee, the Trump administration’s latest changes underscore a familiar message: immigration is a privilege for the few, not a process for the many.

These policy shifts may speed up digital systems and bolster security, but they also risk sidelining thousands of ordinary immigrants – workers, students, and families – who continue to navigate an increasingly complex system just to live, work, and contribute legally in America.

Felicia J. Persaud is the founder and publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, the only daily newswire and digital platform dedicated exclusively to Caribbean Diaspora and Black immigrant news across the Americas.